Fleet

Understand

In mediaeval times, Fleet Pond, as it is now known, was owned by the monks at Winchester and was used to provide them with fish. In the late 18th century, Fleet was open heathland traversed from north to south by the Reading – Farnham road. Crookham Village was a hamlet which was part of the parish of Crondall. The Basingstoke Canal was built in the 1790s linking Basingstoke to the Wey Navigation and thence to the Thames. By the 1840s a number of people had settled in the area that is now known as Church Crookham (south of the Basingstoke Canal whereas Crookham Village lay to the north of the canal). By this time there were sufficient people in the whole of Crookham to warrant the creation of a separate ecclesiastical parish of Crookham. In 1847 a station known as Fleet Pond, was built on the London – Southampton railway line. The town of Fleet, as opposed to Church Crookham, was little developed, though in 1861 the All Saints Church, endowed by Charles Lefroy in memory of his wife provided a nucleus for growth. This church was to become the parish church for the new ecclesiastical parish of Fleet. The proximity of the Aldershot military camp attracted a lot of senior army officers to retire to Fleet, particularly in the area adjacent to the railway line, often known as the "Blue Triangle". The town grew slowly and at the end of the Second World War, the total population stood at about 8,000. Since then, its population has increased five-fold with a substantial number of its residents commuting to London daily. Fleet and the surrounding district of Hart have been repeatedly named among the best places to live in the UK, with numerous studies citing the town's wealth, commutable distance from London, proximity to the countryside and - apparently - the most sex toys per capita of anywhere in Britain!

Getting there

By car Fleet is served by the 1 M3 motorway (junction 4a) which runs from London to Southampton. The town is about an hour's drive from central London, and 15 minutes from junction 12 of the M25. The A323 is a handy access road (via Aldershot) from the A31 in the south. The principal car parks are the multi-storey car park in the Hart Centre (access via Albert Street), the Church Road Car Park behind Sainsbury's (access via Church Road), the Victoria Road car park and the short-term Gurkha Square car park (access Fleet Road).

By train 2 Fleet railway station for South Western Railway services from London (Waterloo; Clapham Junction), Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester and Portsmouth (Harbour). Trains depart from Waterloo three times an hour Monday-Saturday and twice an hour on Sundays. Fleet can be reached from most other stations on the SWR network with a change at Basingstoke or Woking. Also of use may be this station in Farnborough:

3 North Camp railway station for Great Western Railway trains from Reading, Guildford and London Gatwick Airport. This station is on the Hampshire/Surrey border and is about 5 mi (8.0 km) by road from Fleet. There are no direct public transport links, and a taxi would be around £20. A possible car-free alternative would be to get off one stop later at Farnborough North, walk the roughly 0.75 mi (1.21 km) from there to Farnborough Main, and catch the train one stop to Fleet.

By plane Fleet is well served by airports. For travellers coming directly to Fleet, the closest airports are:

London Heathrow Airport (LHR IATA) is 28 mi (45 km) away. Drive to Fleet via the M4, M25 and M3 motorways. Public transport options from Heathrow to Fleet are indirect and take much longer than driving. You can either take a Rail Air bus shuttle to Woking railway station, and catch the train, or take the London Underground (Piccadilly line to Piccadilly Circus; then Bakerloo line to Waterloo) to London Waterloo and catch the train from there. Southam

Getting around

Fleet is only small, so most visitors will get around on foot or by car.

Ediz Taxis, ☏ +44 1252 622101. (updated May 2018) Fleet Taxis, ☏ +44 1252 815819. (updated May 2018)

See

1 Fleet Pond. Nature reserve, 57 ha in extent, with large (21 ha) freshwater lake. (updated Dec 2023) 2 Basingstoke Canal. Canal built in the 1790s to link Basingstoke with the Thames via the Wey Navigation. The link was in place until 1932 when the Greywell Tunnel collapsed; the tunnel is now protected as the home of important bat colonies. However, the canal is still navigable by narrowboat or kayak west to Odiham and east as far as the Wey. You can also walk or bike along the towpath for almost the canal's entire length. (updated May 2023) 3 All Saints Church, Church Road, Fleet. Parish church, consecrated in 1861. A Grade II listed building that was badly damaged by fire in 2015. The church was rededicated after repairs on 30 April 2023. (updated May 2023) 4 Christ Church, Crookham, Gally Hill Road, Church Crookham. Parish church, consecrated in 1841. A Grade II listed building. (updated Aug 2018)

Do

1 Tweseldown Racecourse, Beacon Hill Road, Church Crookham (Off the B3013), ☏ +44 7887 728 603, [email protected]. Hosts horse trials throughout the year. Prices vary. (updated Jan 2017) 2 North Hants Golf Club, Minley Road, Fleet, ☏ +44 1252 616443. 18-hole golf course where Justin Rose learnt his game. Prices vary. (updated Apr 2018) 3 Fleet Half Marathon (start/end Calthorpe Park), Calthorpe Park. Half marathon, first run in 1982, billed as a "Preparation for the London Marathon" and run annually a few weeks before the London Marathon. (updated May 2018) 4 Hart Leisure Centre, Emerald Avenue,Fleet GU51 5EE, ☏ 0333 005 0134 (non-geographic number)Country code missing. Leisure centre with gym, swimming pool, climbing wall. sauna, outdoor sports fields, etc. (updated May 2018)

Buy

Most of Fleet's shops are on, or within 200 metres of, Fleet Road. Shops and markets include:

1 Fleet Market, Gurkha Square, Fleet Road. Sa 8AM–3PM. Traditional town market - vegetables, butcher, hardware etc. Free. (updated May 2018) 2 Hart Shopping Centre, Fleet Road (pedestrian); Albert Street (car park). M-F 9AM–5:30PM, Sa 9AM–6PM, Su 10AM–4PM. Indoor shopping mall: the largest shop is Waitrose. (updated Dec 2023) 3 Morrisons, Elvetham Heath, Fleet GU51 1GY. M-Sa 7AM–10PM, Su 10AM–4PM. Supermarket in the Elvetham Heath development, about 2 km north of the town centre. (updated May 2018)

Eat

Budget 1 Multiple take-aways, Corner Fleet Road and Reading Road North. Chinese, Indian, pizza take-aways. (updated Dec 2023)

Mid-range 2 The Foresters, Aldershot Road, Church Crookham, GU52 9EP (in the woods on the road east out of Church Crookham), ☏ +44 1252 616503, [email protected]. Daily noon-midnight. Cosy woodland setting for classic pub grub with a gastronomic twist. House specialities include a bacon and Westcountry cheese burger, and a smoked chicken, tarragon and mustard pie. Mains £14-£18. (updated Sep 2018) 3 Trattoria La Casa, 203 Fleet Road, GU51 3BL, ☏ +44 1252 811118. Daily 10AM-10:30PM (Su closes 10PM). Decent Italian restaurant and pizzeria. (u